Bengaluru: A dispute over a Rs 10 ticket refund allegedly turned violent as a BMTC passenger assaulted a conductor and driver on a moving bus near Devanahalli, leaving one of them with a fractured nasal bone.According to a complaint filed by conductor DR Narendra Babu, 41, of BMTC’s Devanahalli depot, he and driver Narasimha Reddy were operating a bus on Devanahalli-Yeshwantpur TTMC route (no. 298/MY/2) on July 21. Around 1.50pm, while the bus was at Devanahalli old bus stand, a passenger boarded the vehicle. After completing boarding formalities and picking up more passengers, the bus left the stand around 2pm.The passenger bought a Rs 40 ticket to Venkatala by paying Rs 50 and received Rs 10 as change. After travelling a short distance, he allegedly decided to get off near the taluk office stop and demanded that the conductor cancel the ticket and refund the fare.When Babu refused, the passenger allegedly became abusive, approached the driver and threatened to jump from the moving bus. Reddy then stopped the bus near Hiranandani Apartments on Bengaluru-Ballari Main Road.Even after getting off, the passenger allegedly continued abusing the conductor and cursed him to die of cancer. When Babu challenged him to board the bus and repeat what he had said, the passenger allegedly re-entered through the front door and punched the conductor on the head and nose. He also assaulted Reddy, who had intervened to defuse the situation, leaving the driver with a bleeding forehead.When asked to identify himself, the passenger allegedly said his name was Salman Khan, claimed to work as a driver at MSIL godown in Devanahalli, and continued creating a scene. Reddy then locked the bus doors and drove back towards Devanahalli bus stand to shift passengers to another bus and hand the accused over to police. However, during the transfer, the passenger escaped.
